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Definition of cauterize in English:

cauterize

(British cauterise)

Pronunciation /ˈkôdəˌrīz/ /ˈkɔdəˌraɪz/

transitive verb

[with object]

  • Burn the skin or flesh of (a wound) with a heated instrument or caustic substance, typically to stop bleeding or prevent the wound from becoming infected.

    ‘I'll freeze the hand and cauterize the wound’
    • ‘The man cauterized the wound, stopping the blood loss.’
    • ‘Where did they find the instruments needed to cauterize wounds?’
    • ‘Any bleeding is immediately cauterized with an arthroscopic electrocautery tip.’
    • ‘All of her wounds had been cauterized by the flash burns, which kept her from bleeding to death.’
    • ‘The heat cauterizes the wound; there's little chance for infection’
    burn, sear, singe, scorch
    View synonyms

Origin

Late Middle English from Old French cauteriser, from late Latin cauterizare, from Greek kautēriazein, from kautērion ‘branding iron’, from kaiein ‘to burn’.

Pronunciation

cauterize

/ˈkôdəˌrīz/ /ˈkɔdəˌraɪz/